Written questions by Doogan.

What progress he has made with Ofgem and energy suppliers on (a) understanding how energy costs will change for consumers following the switch from services relying on Radio Teleswitch and (b) ensuring consumers will have access to competitive tariffs when Radio Teleswitch Service meters are replaced.

Energy suppliers are best placed to advise on suitable tariffs for their customers, and to ensure that they inform affected customers of any changes to the cost of their energy. Ofgem has been clear that suppliers must take all reasonable steps to ensure former RTS consumers stay on a closely equivalent tariff.

What progress GB Energy has made on delivering community energy projects.

Great British Energy has as one of its key functions the delivery of the Local Power Plan which will provide funding and support to communities to meet the government's goal of 8GW of community energy by 2030. The GBE Bill is still making its way through Parliament and the Autumn 2024 budget allocated £125m to set up the company in FY 25-26. We will have more to say on GBE's first investments in due course.

What estimate he has made of how many jobs the Unity Contract with Rolls Royce will create in (a) Cardiff and (b) Glasgow.

Rolls-Royce Submarines Ltd estimate the Unity contract will create at least 200 new jobs in Glasgow and Cardiff providing the company with longer-term contractual security to plan and develop their existing and future workforce.

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support people with the cost of living in Scotland.

Delivering economic growth and raising living standards in every part of the United Kingdom, so working people have more money in their pocket, is the government’s central mission.We are protecting 1 million pensioners with the triple lock, giving a pay rise to hundreds of thousands of Scots through the minimum wage increase.3.2 million people in Scotland will benefit from the cut in fuel duty, 1.7 million families in Scotland will have their working age benefits uprated in line with inflation, and our universal credit reforms will be essential for families throughout Scotland.

What recent discussions he has had with Ofgem on steps it is taking to help consumers secure competitive tariffs when Radio Teleswitch Service meters are replaced.

The Government recognises the importance of a smooth transition for consumers away from Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meters. The Government is working closely with Ofgem, industry stakeholders, and energy suppliers through the RTS Taskforce which is wor...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans the Government has to appoint a Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief.

As the Deputy Prime Minister said in Parliament on 20 November, envoy appointments are under Ministerial consideration and will be decided upon in due course. We continue to use the strength of our global diplomatic network, including dedicated staff with...

If he will take steps with his international counterparts to negotiate a treaty on (a) ending fossil fuel (i) exploration and (ii) expansion, (b) phasing-out existing production of fossil fue

The UK will work closely with international partners to deliver our commitments to transition away from fossil fuels, as agreed at COP28, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, while ensuring our energy security. The Government has also just launched a ...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the International Criminal Court arrest warrants issued for (a) Benjamin Netanyahu, (b) Yoav Gal

We respect the independence of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern. We remain focused on pushing for an immediate ceasefir...

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for arms export licences of the International Criminal Court arrest warrant for (a) Benjamin Netanyahu and (b) Yoav Gallant.

The UK respects the independence of the International Criminal Court in investigating the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We have been clear that all parties must comply with International Humanitarian Law and take every poss...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Bereavement abroad through homicide or culpable homicide - support: memorandum of understanding" between his Department and the Crown Office and Procurator

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Police Service of Scotland, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Death Certification Review Service and Victim Support Scotland details t...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many coroners inquests have been held in (a) England and (b) Wales for the death of a UK national abroad in the last five years.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office received requests for documents to assist with coroner's inquests in England and Wales over the last five years (rounded to the nearest 100) as follows:1,100 in 2019;1,000 in 2020;1,000 in 2021;1,300 in 2...

What methodology his Department will use to allocate the £1 billion of funding for community energy to each of the nations in the UK.

GBE will benefit all four nations, creating jobs and building supply chains across the whole of UK. GBE’s funding envelope provides a total amount for it to operate UK-wide. We are resetting the Government’s approach to working with the devolved nations. ...

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of overhead lines on GPS equipment used by farmers.

Any developer of electricity network infrastructure projects undertakes an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for individual projects and EIAs for projects in rural areas will almost always include assessment of agricultural impacts. These assessments ...

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the potential loss of revenue for seed potato farmers that lost potato cyst nematode clear status due to contamination during the construction of nationa

Landowners, businesses and homeowners that have electrical equipment, such as pylons or towers, sited on their land have the right to compensation for the value of their land, as well as for any losses or expenses incurred. Acquiring authorities can also ...

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to compensate seed potato farmers that lose potato cyst nematode clear status due to contamination caused by the construction of national infrastructure including

Landowners, businesses and homeowners that have electrical equipment, such as pylons or towers, sited on their land have the right to compensation for the value of their land, as well as for any losses or expenses incurred. Acquiring authorities can also ...

What steps she is taking through the Child Maintenance Service to ensure that receiving parents and their children are adequately financially supported when paying parents (a) decide not to return to wo

The maintenance calculation is designed to be affordable and sustainable for paying parents, while ensuring they contribute a reasonable amount to support their children. Calculations are based on a percentage of the Paying Parent’s gross weekly income re...

What assessment the Child Maintenance Service has made of the potential merits of ensuring that both parents are equally liable for childcare costs.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) operates on the principle that both parents have financial responsibility for their child, including contributing to their food and clothing, as well as contributing towards the associated costs of running the home that...

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring the Child Maintenance Service to calculate a paying parent's liability using their household income rather than their individual incom

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) operates on the principle that both parents have financial responsibility for their child, including contributing to their food and clothing, as well as contributing towards the associated costs of running the home that...

What assessment the Child Maintenance Service has made of the potential merits of reducing the threshold for unearned income for paying parents from £2,500 to £1,000 in line with HMRC’s annual tax-free

The threshold for unearned income was originally set at £2,500 to ensure that this represented a significant source of a paying parent’s total annual income. This ensures that minor changes in unearned income do not interfere with the efficiency of the sy...

What steps she is taking to improve the success of enforcement measures taken by the Child Maintenance Service on non-paying parents.

Where parents frequently change employment, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) can use alternative powers such as deducting child maintenance directly from their bank account. The CMS has a range of strong enforcement options that are designed to get mon...